At the Grover Beach City Council Meeting on September 25, Council received the findings of a Facilities Condition and Needs Assessment (FCNA) that assessed the condition of key City facilities, projected their future maintenance needs and recommended capital improvements.
In response to the findings, Council provided direction on an approach to address long-term facility needs, with a focus on rebuilding the Police Department and City Hall at their current sites and relocating the Emergency Operations Center to the Ramona Garden Park Center. The City’s current facilities are several decades old and are undersized for City operations along with having significant maintenance and repair needs.
“It is critical to develop plans for our City facilities to ensure they will effectively meet our community’s long-term needs,” said Grover Beach Mayor Karen Bright. “The FCNA provides insights to help us begin charting a responsible and fiscally prudent path forward.”
In June 2022, Council authorized the FCNA due to the steady escalation of facility maintenance needs and costs and increases in City staffing and equipment. In December 2022, the City awarded a contract to Roesling Nakamura Terada (RNT) Architects to conduct the assessment that evaluated the following facilities:
- Police Department
- City Hall
- Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
- Ramona Garden Park Center
- Community Center
RNT Architects conducted in-depth site inspections, gathered input from City departments, ran data analyses and submitted recommendations — providing the City a detailed understanding of facilities’ capacity to address current and future organizational needs.
The FNCA findings indicated that all five City facilities require structural repairs, ADA upgrades or other improvements, with buildings spanning 20 to 65 years in age. Additionally, City Hall and the Police Department have outgrown their facilities. City Hall lacks adequate space for its current staff and the Police Department has a significant lack of storage space.
Council considered four options in response to the FNCA findings, ranging from the partial reuse of City facilities to the total reconstruction of City facilities at new sites. The Council provided direction to proceed with Option 2, favoring the future reconstruction and enhancement of City Hall and the Police Department on their current sites, with reconstruction to face South 8th Street for increased street parking. This option also involves relocating the EOC from the Police Department site to Ramona Park Garden Center, which would undergo technological upgrades.
Estimated costs for this future facilities option is $16.7 million, in addition to a multi-million-dollar renovation plan for the City’s Corporation Yard housing maintenance operations. Currently, the City does not have a funding plan in place, but staff will continue to work with Council to determine funding sources and follow Council direction for future capital improvement planning. The findings and recommendations from the FCNA will guide project prioritization and funding for facility rehabilitation or construction.
“This report is a critical starting point to help create functional and well-equipped civic facilities over the long term to best serve our community,” said Grover Beach City Manager Matthew Bronson. “I appreciate the Council’s commitment to a multi-year process that prioritizes public safety, quality services and fiscal responsibility.”
For more information about the FCNA, read the full report and the September 25 City Council Staff Report here.